Vehicles having air suspension systems that are height adjustable are known and commonly used, especially in heavy-duty vehicles. Generally, such systems include a plurality of air springs compressibly supported between the sprung and unsprung mass of the vehicle. For example, each wheel can be supported by an air spring and damper arrangement. These air suspension systems can be used to adjust the height of the vehicle on a wheel-by-wheel basis, in connection with calculating and/or estimating the load of the sprung mass of the vehicle at each suspension strut, as is know in the art.
One disadvantage of such air suspension systems is that when a vehicle, such as a pick-up truck, is loaded with heavy cargo, the air suspension systems can maintain the ride height of the vehicle to the same height as before the cargo was loaded. In such a scenario, a vehicle operator may not appreciate that the loaded cargo is too heavy for the vehicle's rated capability because the air suspension maintains the pre-loaded ride height of the vehicle even with the loaded cargo.
Thus, while known air suspension systems work for their intended purpose, there remains a need for continuous improvement in the relevant art.